Of Elves and Dwarves
by Salty-Irish-Dog
Summary: After Minas Tirth, Gimli and Legolas find themselves in a new places, filled with wonders. Its not too long before adventure finds a way. (If youve read C.S.Lewis' stuff, you may like this...) This summary bite. Enjoy.
1. The Distant Sun

The Distant Sun  
  
There was nothing left in Minas Tirith for a Dwarf or for an Elf. The time had come to decide the path they would take. To the sea where their path was to end, or to the forests and caves on which they wished to return.   
  
Legolas watched the sun rise on Minas Tirith that morning. The suns rays made the sky a shade of a radiant rose, but it made the road ahead no shorter. Keeping his gaze on the sun, Legolas sternly spun around and marched inside.  
  
"Gimli, the road ahead is long and the waking day is short, we must set off," Legolas said waking his partner  
  
"Are all Elves as naturally prompt as you?" Gimli asked sitting up from his bed  
  
"Yes, and we would be ahead of time if it were not for you. Now get up," Legolas replied tossing Gimlis helmet in his lap  
  
He walked out to a balcony to catched the last few moments of the dawning suns colourful rays. He held up his bow to the light and carefully examined every inch quickly, then headed back into the room.  
  
Gimli strode down the hall of the king and stopped in front of the throne.  
  
"How can I ever bid farewell to my closest friends?" Aragorn asked, faintly smiling  
  
"Simply dont bid us farewell. We will come back, we always do," Gimli chuckled  
  
"Youll have to wait around for our next visit, of course," Legolas said, approaching  
  
"Gimli son of Gloin, Legolas of the Woodland Realm, my friends... my companions... may the future hold good tidings for you. Farewell," Aragorn said placing a hand on each of their shoulders. "We'll always be expecting you."  
  
Both turned and slowly walked down the long, glorious hall that they may never step foot in again. Their memories of the days fate bound them to the path of the ring still lingered heavily on their minds Those days were over though. There was a new day dawning, and a new chance uprising.  
  
The nights of chase and the days of battle were at an end and the adventures of the Dwarf and Elf had merely begun. For, Legolas wished to return to the dank, mysterious Fangorn Forest. But the first stop of theirs would be to the Sea of Rhun and the forests beyond it, then later, Gimli would accompany Legolas in a short trip home while taking River Running back to Mirkwood.  
  
Legolas glanced at the sun rising in the distance while he attached a few small packs to his horse. The horse seemed rather unsettled as it emitted a few small whinnys. Legolas ran his hand between its eyes and it calmed down.   
  
"Ah!" Grunted Gimli  
  
Legolas jumped in surprise, "We must carry on."  
  
"Yes... I heard you the first time!" Said Gimli  
  
Legolas led the horse down several levels of white stone buildings and houses. Rubble blanketed the white road while the men plotted ways to remove it. And children played freely; laughing and playing. He stepped forward with the horse, but it pulled back slightly. He noticed a ball bouncing by. He dropped the horses reigns as he glided to it like a spider across water. A daze seemed to envelope him as the balls beats came closer together. He kneeled down, rather elegantly, and gently picked up the ball.  
  
"Hey!" He heard a voice shout  
  
He turned his head ever so slightly to catch a glimpse of two small children running towards him. He turned around and took a step forward. Both children stopped in their tracks and gasped. The little girl giggled a bit. Legolas looked down at the ball, slightly grinning as if a sudden thought had reached his mind. Then he gingerly tossed the ball to the little boy.  
  
"Thank you kindly, sir," the boy said  
  
The girl giggled again, then leaned over and whispered something about Elves. The boy smiled and ran away. The little girl however stood straight, with her hands neatly behind her back, staring intently at Legolas as if to say something.   
  
"Youre an Elf!" she said finally  
  
"Yes..." He almost smiled  
  
"Ive never met an ELF before," she said biting her lip  
  
He knelt down to her height and put out his hand. She took it gently and smiled.  
  
"And what is your name, young maiden?" he asked  
  
"Lidya, Master Elf, " she said blushing   
  
"Well, Lidya-" he began  
  
"Come on, come on Lidya!" the boy yelled, returning  
  
Lidya curtsied then hesisitated shortly before running away. Legolas smiled to himself.  
  
"I do not wish to intrude on this precious moment, but... we must carry on!" Gimli said sarcastically  
  
Legolas stood up slowly and put his attention back to the horse. It had stopped to munch on a small flower pot sitting on a sill. He quickly pulled the horse away and led it down to the ground level on Minas Tirith. Fortunately, Gimli was to ride his own horse, which Legolas helped him up onto. He then mounted his own white stallion. Saying goodbye was never an easy thing to do, unless you were an Elf.  
  
They both cross checked everything, and then the gates opened. They crossed the threshhold and galloped off.  
  
The enormous white wall surrounding Minas Tirith faded into the new horizon like a speck of sand in the wind. Soon, all civilization disappeared and the surrounding sides were plains with distant mountains or hills.  
  
"You dont suppose we shall find ourselves back to back facing two hundred orcs in a blaze of fury, do you?" asked Gimli, hopeful  
  
"No, I dont suppose so, Gimli," Legolas chuckled, "not this time."  
  
"Well then, Im ready for another one of those rings to be made..." Gimli trailed off muttering and stroking his beard  
  
Yes, the days ahead would be bland, and the road long, but adventure finds itself in the least oppurtune moments.  
  
**  
  
Please, please review.  
  
I know its not much, but atleast its not some chick and Lego man gettin' it on.....  
  
You knooooow.... 


	2. Heat Stroke

Heat Stroke  
  
Gimli and Legolas trailed the Harad Road and had stopped to make camp. Gimli sat on a moderately sized rock and pulled out his pipe, as Legolas went into a small crowd of trees to collect firewood. He felt peril had left them, for the most part, and they were fairly safe.  
  
He felt a cold sting and then he felt faint, but the feeling soon vanished with the night. Legolas made haste back to camp where he found Gimli sleeping.  
  
"Gimli!" he called, "Something stirs in the mists of the tree..."  
  
"Ha! It seems Im not the ONLY one beckoning a battle!" Gimli laughed, "Ah, lad, I think you need to rest."  
  
"I will not."  
  
"Your dainty Elvish beauty rest isnt doing you any good, becuase youve seem to have gone. From the heat maybe?  
  
"It is not the heat, but rather some perplexing force. I felt like we had been brought here..."  
  
"You're mad!" Gimli laughed until he saw the dismay in Legolas' eyes, "I did not think you were lying but - I still think the heat has driven you mad. This presence will meet my axe soon enough then, Elf."  
  
"It will indeed."  
  
Legolas propped himself against a tree and rested his hands as his breast. (Elves were said to 'sleep with their eyes open' and in this case, it was not true, but merely a figure of speech.) He closed his eyes and dosed into a trance not self induced. Gimli remained awake. He puffed his pipe and amused himself with the thoughts of the Hobbits. He chuckled heartedly to himself then a loud noise projected from further off; an undescribable clatter. Gimlis brow raised as he drew his axe and stood up.   
  
"Presence, huh? Perplexing or not..." Gimli said to himself while proceeding into the trees. The night was even darker than before amongst the trees, and the moons rays could not reach the recesses beneath the trees. Gimli found himself in a small open area. Honestly, the 'crowd of trees' was a whole lot bigger from the inside.  
  
He heard a rustlinh to the left, and he readied himself. Then the noise shifted to the right, then behind him, then to the left again, then eventually it was everywhere. A howl followed; it was long and painful.  
  
"Ah! Wolves!" He said, rather relieved  
  
Then, the noise was singlely in front of him. He lowered himself into an attack position. A large glossy white wolf jumped from behind a tree. Gimli moved forward, but the forces of nature couldnt explain the wolfs speed and power. It whipped around, knocking Gimli to the ground, and his axe away from him. The wolf appraoched slowly and lowered its head. It sat down to the left of Gimli and stared at him. He sat up and the wolf pounced him back down, so now they were face to face. The wolfs eyes shone even in the darkness, like stars burning in the sky. The wolf emitted a long, low growl, as if a warning. It bared its teeth then it seemed like it was laughing in Gimlis face. It licked Gimlis face twice then calmly began walking away. He stood up and walked to his axe. He picked it up and then ran to camp.  
  
"Wake up your pretty little self!" He shouted  
  
Legolas opened his left eye then close it, "I told you, stubborn Dwarf!"  
  
"A queer enchantment falls over these parts..."  
  
"What are we to do?" Legolas said, with his eyes still closed  
  
"Surely you wish to know what it is?"  
  
"If I could... I would turn back now and never return, but this is my calling Gimli. We must ride."  
  
"Did you see the Wolf, though?"  
  
"A wolf?! Now look whose gone mad with the heat!"  
  
"You elves know JUST how to rub everything in!" Gimli said, "It was the biggest, whitest, most beautiful wolf I had ever seen!"  
  
"Where is this... 'wolf'... now?" Legolas said, opening his eyes  
  
"I could not slay it! It spared me."  
  
"Spared you?! That is madness!"  
  
"Face to face, we were..."  
  
"Im sure, Gimli..."  
  
"Legolas you pointy eared prick! I am saying I believe you."  
  
"Oh well, in that case... shall we carry on?"  
  
Gimli nodded hesistantly and put his axe away. Legolas helped him to his horse, then proceeded to his own horse.  
  
"Did you hear the clatter?" Gimli said  
  
"Yes, it was coming from Rhun," said Legolas looking to the distance  
  
"Onward, to the River Rhun," Gimli said excitedly  
  
The horses galloped quickly towards Rhun. The blood in their veins become heated the close they became, for they both loved a good bral every now and then.  
  
Soon the sound of flowing water met their ears and the forest ahead grew bigger. They stopped and dismounted. Both horses lowered their heads to take in some of the fresh water. Legolas' horse stopped and then reared. The other horse turned around and began making loud noises. Legolas and Gimli tried to lull them, but they were restless. Soon both stopped, and became overwelmed by an almost drunken stupor. They couldnt walk straight, or even keep balance for long until both toppled over and passed out.  
  
Gimli and Legolas examined the stallions; there were no puncture wounds, no bleeding and no definate reason why they passed out. The horses were at ease, so they left them be.  
  
"Something ponders these woods," Legolas gestured ahead of him  
  
"Have you not heard the tales?" Gimli asked  
  
"I have heard many tales... and so far they have all been folly."  
  
"But its rather intriguing, if I might say."  
  
"Yes, I must confess. I, too, am rather intrigued."  
  
"Then what are we waiting for?!"  
  
"Our horses..."  
  
"Oh yes - of course!"  
  
  
  
**  
  
Yeah........ um.........   
  
Kay  
  
I love reviewers..........  
  
*let this statement^^ in the above reach out to you children- DRUGS are BAD!* 


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